Clarke bans demos around Parliament

[graham enzk]

Wednesday 15 June 2005 04:52pm


Clarke bans demos around Parliament


A half-mile exclusion zone has been drawn up around Parliament to curb demonstrations, it was been revealed.

All of Whitehall and the London Eye on the opposite bank of the Thames fall within in the area.

Unauthorised protests by just one person are outlawed under the controversial new laws.

Police can set strict conditions on any demonstration, including time limits or bans on placards and loudhailers.

Brian Haw, the anti-war protester who has camped in Parliament Square since 2001, is expected to be first to fall foul of the controversial law after it comes in on August 1.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke was given powers to designate an exclusion of up to a kilometre (0.621 miles) in the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act, passed earlier this year.

Mr Clarke has used his power to the full, London's Evening Standard found.

The zone will stretch from St James's Park in the west to take in a significant chunk of the South Bank in the East and from Charing Cross to Lambeth Bridge.

Trafalgar Square, a traditional venue for demonstrations, is not included.

Ministers claimed a ban on protests was needed outside the Palace of Westminster to ensure MPs and peers could get in and out. Critics say the new powers go much further than Parliament intended and Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency debate.

(c) Copyright Press Association Ltd 2005, All Rights Reserved.


why can't they just say no protests are allowed to hinder people going in and out? an exclusion of half a mile? is this so they can just ignore protests and pretend they don't happen cuz they don't see any?

[AlanG]

protest banned, yay for democracy.

When it was pointed out that this si where these authoritarians were goin a few years back those doing the pointing were called conspiracy nuts.

Protest banned, id cards, satellite tracking systems, cctv on every corner

what will be the next authoritarian measure?

[moscow/findo]

"Hey if you've got nothing to hide what's the problem.....................................?"

It's time to move North.

[thomasjmaccoll]

that's disgraceful.

[Rebelius]

1 man standing in parliament can not possibly stop MPs from doing their job. But I'll bet he gets in trouble when the law comes into being.

Alan's right.

[AlanG]

In one way its hilarious that they are so scared of one mans long running anti-war protest that they will resort to these atrocious measures to stop dissent.

On another it just shows how authoritarian the Labour government are.

Vere are your papers!111

[TNF]

I hate stuff like this. If people feel like protesting peacefully, what does it matter where they do it?

[moscow/findo]

Surely this contravenes human rights law?

I think it's great though: foist democracy on one country while removing it in your own.

Maybe it's impossible for Iraq and Britain to simultaneously have democracy... we've got to share it about like.

Tony Blair: "There's enough to go around for everyone! We just need to curb some inherant rights that most of us don't use..."

Ever get the impression dearest anthony actually supports apathy amongst voters? I mean... he's not done too badly out of it has he?

[thomasjmaccoll]

and, what will make something a protest or not? i mean, that guy that's been sitting there has loads of banners and stuff, but he's not making masses of noise or disrupting anyone, and can't be said to be endangering anyone... yet he'll still get thrown out.

could you be escorted from the area for walking through it wearing a tshirt with an anti war slogan on? singing a protest song? before long it'll be no hoodies within 1/2 a mile of parliament, punishable by indefinite imprisonment without need for evidence...

[moscow/findo]

amen